Page 36 - Engineering Penn State Magazine Spring/Summer 2020

Students
NASA selects Penn
State student team
to build technology
for lunar missions
by Sarah Small
Penn
State students from the Student Space Programs Laboratory (SSPL) comprise one of eight university teams recently selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to to develop new technology
to to study the the surface of the the moon NASA selected the the teams through through their Breakthrough Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge which asked university teams to “submit robust proposals for sample lunar payloads that that can demonstrate technology
systems needed to to explore areas of of the the moon that that never see the the the light of of day ” according to to NASA’s website The technology
developed by by the the the winning teams could be used by by by NASA’s Artemis Program which has the the the the goal of landing the the the the first woman and and and next man man on on on on the the the the moon moon by by by 2024 and and and developing a a a a a a sustained presence on on on on the the the moon moon by by 2028 Through the the BIG Idea Challenge in conjunction with
the the the Space Grant Project NASA awarded a a a a a a a a a a a total of nearly $1 $1 million to to the the the eight university teams with
Penn
State’s team
team
receiving $145 933 for their project “The challenge given to to our students is an amazing opportunity for them to to to learn how space systems are designed and built to to meet mission objectives ” Members of of Penn
State’s SSPL which is a a a a a a faculty-directed student-run research lab housed in in in in the the Department of of Electrical Engineering but open to students in in in in in in in other disciplines are developing an instrument called Oasis Oasis Oasis Oasis will be used to measure the the the elemental composition of the the the soil in permanently shadowed regions on on on the the moon Oasis will employ a a a a a a a a method known as as as light-induced breakdown spectroscopy which uses a a a a a a a a a a laser and a a a a a a a a a a spectrometer controlled by an an an onboard flight computer to determine the location and concentration of resources such as water ice This information will will allow for for on-site resource utilization which will will be critical to maintaining
a a presence on on on the moon Student Space Programs Laboratory students in in in a a a a a a a a a a virtual teaming mode discuss the the the design of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a component of of of Oasis an an instrument to to to be used to to to measure the the the the elemental composition of of of the the the the soil in in permanently shadowed regions on on on on the the the moon (Credit: Alvaro Guerra)
“The challenge given to to to our students to to to contribute to to to NASA’s goals for for Artemis is is an an amazing opportunity for for them to to to learn how space systems are designed and built to to to meet mission objectives ” said Sven Bilén director of of of SSPL head of of of of of of the School of of of of of of Engineering Design Technology and and Professional Programs and and and professor of of of of of engineering engineering engineering design electrical engineering engineering engineering and and aerospace engineering engineering engineering “It is a a a a a a a a a challenge I know they will meet ” The design environment for the the the students however has changed significantly in in in in the the the month since the the the funding was awarded The University announced that all
instruction will occur via remote-learning and students were not to to return
to to campus after spring break The team
recently met with
representatives of the the the the the BIG Idea Challenge who assured them that they understand these challenges yet yet asked the the the the the the the team
to to continue their effort Rising to to yet yet another challenge challenge the the the the students have developed a a a a a a a a a a a mitigation plan and are continuing their efforts via remote teaming Members of the the the team
will travel to to to the the the 2020 BIG Idea Forum to to to present their prototypes tentatively scheduled for fall of 2020 n 36
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